


The Queen, Her Brother and The Princess

by SV_Writer



Category: Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Genderswap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-06 00:03:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18839524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SV_Writer/pseuds/SV_Writer
Summary: This story was commissioned by VertigoR on DeviantArt.It takes place in a genderbent universe of Narnia, shortly after the White Witch was defeated and the Pevensies came to power.In this story Peter is Mary, Susan is Stephen, Edmund is Edith, Lucy is Lucas and Rabadash is Rabadash (but a girl)Refer to Book 3 for who Rabadash is.





	The Queen, Her Brother and The Princess

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: This story contains Incest. Like… Heavy Incest. Plus, a lil’ Femdom. That’s always fun. Maybe you might enjoy it?

Mary grunted heavily as she swung her sword towards Princess Rabadash, who smooth slid to the side, dodging the heavy blow, and countering with her own strike that bounced off Mary’s armour.

_Damn it…_

She could hear the cries of panic from her younger siblings, at her own plight, before desperately trying to tune them out.

_Can’t listen to them… have to… Have to focus…_

They might have all been Queens and Kings of equal status, but right now, she had to protect them. Well, she had to protect one in particular.

Despite her better judgement, she felt her mind flash back to the events that caused this battle…

*

Mary Pevensie was the oldest daughter and child of the Pevensie family, and she took her role seriously. Her younger siblings, Stephen, Edith and Lucas, were always her priority. She ignored her mother’s frequent complaints about her “lack of lady-like qualities”, to be the strong protective figure they deserved.

A strong protective figure, they needed as the War broke out, and they were sent off into the country side to be safe.

They were sent to the home of the unseen Professor Digory and her strict butler, Mr. Macready. It wasn’t home, but it was a very nice place, and Mary had thanked their lucky stars they had wound up there.

It felt like things would be normal, until Lucas discovered the entrance to the world of Narnia, through the back of a wardrobe. It had a been a short surreal time as they all wandered in, ended up in a terrible and bloody war against the White Witch, but through whatever miracle, they had emerged from that battle, victorious and shortly after that, were crowned, the Queens and Kings of Narnia.

And they had been ruling ever since.

It had been a few years since then, and their kingdom had only prospered under them. Mary was High Queen; Aslan had given her the title of “Magnificent”. How embarrassing and flattering. Still it made her all the more determined to maintain her position and do her best for their new home.

It had been 14 years since they became the Rulers of Narnia, and in that time, they had been troubled by little.

But trouble always brews around the corner; like a kettle of water above a stove, it boils and bubbles, violently, shaking its container until there’s no other option but for it to spill out over the edge.

Hot, burning trouble.

It came in the form of a Woman; Princess Rabadash.

The Country of Calormen was towards the south of Narnia, separated a large expanse of land that was the country of Archenland. Calormen was an unsavoury country to put it mildly; Mary avoided relations with it, leaving Archenland as a buffer between them, but it didn’t seem like Calormen shared her feelings.

The Country was well known for its invasive and dominating policies, while getting into several minor skirmishes for absurd and pathetic reasons. As a Desert Country, Mary could sympathize with them if they suffered from a lack of resources, yet they never seemed to an issue in that front. Their invasions were done for the sake of chaos and pain.

Mary wanted to avoid involving Narnia with Calormen, and her siblings only agreed with her. Thankfully, Narnia’s superiority in magic acted as a deterrence for all of this time.

And yet…

Mary tilted her head softly, as Princess Rabadash of Calormen glided into the throne room, “My Siblings and I, welcome you to our abode, Princess.”

The Princess gave them a thin smile and returned the nod, “You’re too kind, High Queen.”

“Why are you here?” Lucas pipped up with his usual, youthful inquisitiveness but his voice carried an undercurrent of irritation.

Mary was about to speak up, when Stephen glared at Lucas, silencing him at once, before turning back to the Princess before them, “Forgive our younger brother, princess. He’s still learning the basic etiquette for his station.”

The Princess’ attention was drawn to Stephen in an uncomfortable gaze, before she smiled thinly and shifted her weight slightly, inclining herself towards him, and flaring out her hips seductively, “I take no offence, your Majesty; it is the duty of youth to be… inquisitive.”

Mary felt like the Princess wanted to say something other than ‘inquisitive’.

*

The Princess proved to be a strange sort of guest. While she was generally well-behaved and composed, she constantly threw her weight around; She knew the status she held as a princess and the representative of a foreign power, and a relatively hostile one at that. Mary and her siblings knew better than to antagonize her and her people.

Rabadash made various strange demands in her insufferable politeness; She wanted to bath in warm milk and poppy seeds. She wanted a pillow stuffed with fresh rose petals every day. She wanted entertainment; Dancing, plays, gladiators, races. She kept demanding more and more.

The Pevensies did their best to keep her happy, while keeping her demands to reasonable limits, but they knew it was only a matter of time before things came to a head.

*

Rabadash had a clear infatuation with Stephen, and it was understandable to Mary. Stephen was a young and healthy man, in the prime of his life. He was smart, resourceful, strong, kind and so much more.

Any woman would be lucky to have him and normally, Mary would have been happy if a good woman had been showing interest in her little brother.

But Rabadash was not a good woman. And as smart as Stephen was, he was unexpectedly naïve. Rabadash made it a point to spend as much time with Stephen as possible, and it irked Mary every time she saw them. It made her blood boil to see that treacherous viper wrap her arm around Stephen’s arm like she was some delicate maiden.

She wanted to shout and scream. She wanted to slap both of them, and ensure they never saw each other. She wanted to… to…

Mary couldn’t do anything. Her unease was unbefitting of a High Queen. Lucas and Edith felt much the same as her, often coming and pointing out how they felt about Rabadash, but Mary couldn’t act on their impulses, much less her own.

She plastered a fake smile on her face whenever she saw the Harlot. Beyond her irrational demands and obvious superiority complex, Rabadash had very few flaws; She was a bewitching sight, with her curvaceous and delicate figure. She was a visibly intelligent and cunning woman, of high standing. She had a distinctly pragmatic mindset, inspite of her wild requests. Her manners were impeccable, and her entire demeanour was polished.

She was a fox. A viper. A twisted monster wrapped in the beautiful clothing to hide her inner ugliness. And like any monster, it was only a matter of time before she bared her teeth.

*

Stephen was a little put off my Rabadash’s invasive attitude. While he didn’t mind acting as the courteous host, he felt there should have been some limits with how close she could get to him.

It made him uncomfortable. Her flirtatious actions were obvious for anyone to see. It made him feel conflicted. While Rabadash was a beautiful and at time, charming woman, he didn’t feel attracted to her in the typical sense.

But he maintained his composure. He acted kind. She was a guest after all.

And what was the harm in keeping her around for now? It wasn’t like she was a monster or anything…

*

Mary frowned, “I’m sorry?”

Edith, Lucas and Stephen all stared dumbly at the Princess standing before them. Her smile was thin and proud, her eyes moving between the Pale Stephen and the Furious Mary. Rabadash puffed out her chest, “Would you like me to repeat myself?”

“Yes.”, Mary spoke bluntly. She didn’t want to waste times with pleasantries anymore. If Rabadash just said, what Mary thought she said…

“I said, I would like to propose marriage with King Stephen.”

“And I formally reject your proposal. You will not be marrying my brother.”

Mary’s tone was dry and disgusted. Too far. This harlot was going too far. She had been a guest for less than two weeks, and now she was trying this…

Rabadash frowned, “My proposal was not for you.”

“No.” Mary agreed, “But, it concerns my country and my family. Furthermore, I am the High Queen and the only one who’s authority supersedes my own is Aslan, and I know he would side with me on this. I will not let you marry my brother.”

“…I would like to ask, why… Your Majesty.”, Rabadash’s words were careful and soft, tinged with anger.

“And I decline your request. I need not explain myself to you.” Lucas and Edith grinned on the side at the verbal battle occurring before them.

“You dislike me?”

“I distrust you.”

“It is unwise to be so blatant about one’s feelings.”

Mary nodded, “Just as it is unwise to trust a diplomat from a hostile nation.”

Rabadash smirked, “I see. So, you’d deny my request out of my heritage?”

“Not your heritage, so much as your character.”

“You simply don’t wish to acknowledge my request because my personality displeases you?”

Mary nodded.

Rabadash’s eyes narrowed, “So, you do not mind that I am part of the Calormen Royal Family?”

“Not at all.”

“And you recognize me as an equal?”

“Of course.”

“Then as an equal, I challenge you to single combat for the hand of Stephen, to marriage.”

“H-Hey, wait a second!” Stephen rose up from his seat, panicking slightly at the sudden statement, “I’m the one-”

“Stephen.”

He paused at the soft, and cold tone emanating from his older sister.

“Sit down. Please.”

He blinked a few times before nodding and reseating himself, hesitantly.

Mary stared at Rabadash for a few seconds, “If do not accept your challenge, I presume Calormen would take an increasingly hostile stance towards Narnia?”

“I will personally ensure that.”

Mary sighed, “Then I suppose you leave me no choice; As the head of my family, and the High Queen of Narnia, I accept your challenge to my authority. Should you win, I will let you wed my brother. Should you lose, you will accept my words as law… and Calormen will never threaten Narnia like this again.”

“…Of course, your majesty.”

“We shall duel on the ‘morrow.”

“The sooner the better.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

*

Mary grunted as her squires rushed around her, making sure her armour fitted her properly. She hated her armour; it was a heavy clunky item, and she had requested the smiths to try and make it lighter, but they hadn’t yet developed the technology to make such defences.

_Haa… There were so many small conveniences that Earth had…_

“Sister?”

Mary lifted her head, and smiled at Stephen, “Yes?”

He nodded softly, glancing towards Mary’s squires who bowed before him briefly before continuing their tasks, “…Could I speak to you… alone?”

She blinked and nodded, turning to her squires, “Leave us.”

As soon as the last squire left the room, Stephen crossed his arms softly, a pained expression emerging on his face, “Mary… You don’t have to do this.”

“But I do. I am the family head and I was the one who rejected Rabadash’s proposal, not you.”

“Rabadash wants to marry me! Not you! Why do you need to fight? First off, I have no problem marrying her-”

Mary’s fight tightened, “I do.”

“She’s not that bad! Her country might be unsavoury, but marriage might help the bonds between-”

“Stephen.” Mary’s voice was cold, “Listen to me well, because I will not repeat myself. You will not marry Rabadash. You are kind, and you try to see the good in most people, and that blinds you to the darkness in them. The darkness, that I see.”

“But…”

“Rabadash is a dangerous woman. If you marry her, not only you, but all of us… all of us will regret it. Trust me when I say that.”

He frowned softly, “Then… why did you keep her around?”

“Several reasons. Even if she is a snake, she is a diplomat. I cannot send her back without great reason. And if she survives this, she will probably stay even after this duel.”

“What?”

Mary sighed, “Dueling is no reason to expel nobility. It is part of our laws. It is a right, and not a crime.”

“Isn’t this… risky then?”

“If I lose, yes.”

Stephen swallowed, “I see…”

Mary smiled softly, and touched his cheek clumsily through her leather gloves, “Don’t worry. She won’t beat me.”

He blinked and nodded, “Of course! We… We shall have a banquet tonight to celebrate your victory!”

“Be careful not to exhaust the food stores…”

He nodded and hugged her gently, “ _You_ be careful, sister.” And then he rushed out.

Mary watched him leave, before gently placing her hand over her heart. _Calm down… Calm down…_ She bit her lower lip softly. She was a bad girl. She said so much, acted so much. She wasn’t lying, when she talked about how dangerous Rabadash was. But… that was only part of the story…

She groaned and punched the wall, as she struggled to hold back her emotions.

_I’m disgusting…_

Disgusting was the only word that came to her mind. After all, what else could you call a woman who was in love with her younger brother?

*

Mary roared as she swung her sword. Sparks flew through the air, as her heavy blade collided with Rabadash’s curved blade. She cursed internally, as Rabdash skillfully deflected the sword, spun to the side and attempted to cut Mary, only to be thwarted for the umpteenth time by Mary’s armour.

_Thank god for this thick thing…_

Mary was trained in battle; she knew the Calormen sword-style; Light and agile, preferring subtle strikes and cuts over stabs and swings. In many ways, the Calormen style was in direct opposition to the heavy, defensive and powerful Narnian style. Mary had no concerns about that fact; She had confidence in her skills. But she wasn’t aware of how good Rabadash was.

_Damn it… If I can’t beat her…_

She’d never give up Stephen. Not to some hussy like this!

She gritted her teeth, jumping forward and swinging her sword as fast as she could, attempting to compensate for her armours weight, but only succeeded in watching Rabadash parry her blow and dance away again. Her eyes widened, as she watched Rabadash’s sword slide low, finding a chink in her armour and cutting the side of her knee.

It wasn’t an overly painful wound; Mary had had worse, but she could feel the strain it was placing on her leg, as it trembled.

_Damn it…_

Rabadash was clearly aware of the strain Mary was enduring, if her smile was saying anything. She tossed her sword from hand to hand for a few seconds, before darting towards Mary, thrusting her sword wildly.

Mary cursed as she back-stepped, stumbling slightly in a bad attempt to dodge that only put further weight and pain on her bad leg. She raised her sword in a blind attempt, luckily deflecting Rabadash’s blows, and sending her back.

_Damn it… If she gets me again…_

Warm blood trickled down Mary’s cold leg. She wasn’t going to lose… Not here. Not to this bitch.

_Stephen…_

Rabadash grinned and sprinted forward again. Mary narrowed her eyes and spun to the side, using her bad leg as an axis. She felt a gleeful smile emerge on her face as Rabadash frowned in confusion. She let her the flat of her blade fall onto Rabadash’ wrists as the princess attempted to thrust at an opponent who was no longer standing in front of her.

Rabadash cried out in pain, as the heavy sword, smacked into her hands painfully, forcing her to drop her own sword. She fell to her knees, gritted her teeth in pain as tears rolled off her face.

Before Rabadash could react, Mary stomped over the fallen blade before thrusting her own sword into the princess’s face forcing her to squeal and fall back, “Yield.”

There was a heavy silence over the entire duelling arena.

Then silently, through gritted teeth Rabadash spoke up, “I… Yield.”

Mary lowered her sword with a small confidence smile, “Thank you”

She turned and walked away taking great not to out pressure on her bad leg. _Shit… Shit, it hurts…_ The high she was experiencing wouldn’t last for long, and she wanted to have her wounds treated before the pain truly set in.

She gestured lightly towards one of the squires, “Have doctors sent to both me and the princess in our chambers.” Mary mumbled softly, “Send the better one to the princess-”

She suddenly felt the weight on her bad leg decrease. She glanced to the side and felt her eyes widen and her face burn, as her eyes locked with Stephen, who had gently placed himself beside her, supporting her, “Come. I’ll help you to your chambers.”

“Uh… Huh…”

*

Stephen insisted on being the one to help Mary remove her armour, despite her insistence against it, pointing out, “I’m… I’m not exactly well-dressed below.”

Stephen rolled his eyes, “I’ve bathed with you as a child. We’ve seen each other nude. Unbecoming clothes are nothing.”

Mary screamed internally. _That was when we were younger, and I didn’t have feelings for you!_

His fingers moved with careful and confident ease, undoing the leather straps that held up her armour. She sighed lightly, quickly forgetting her embarrassed panic, as it was replaced with soft relief. She pursed her lips softly in thought. In his soft demeanour, she had forgotten that he too, was a battle veteran. He was not weak. Not in the true sense of the word.

“Mary… I’m a bit mad.”

She frowned, “What?”

“I’m angry.”

“…Why?”

“This… this bloody duel.”

She nodded, “Yes, Rabadash did over step, but like I said before. She had the right-”

“No…”

“No?”

He shook his head, “I wanted to say this before… But, I didn’t want you too lose focus before the duel.”

“Stephen?”

A pregnant pause fell between them, before he spoke up, “Mary. I didn’t want this duel.”

“I-”

“You. That’s it. You. You’re my older sister. Our older sister. You may think you need to protect us, but… But you can’t do everything.”

“…”

“I mean… Rabadash could have killed you! All you were thinking about was protecting us… No, not even us. Just me, from a marriage proposal. A marriage proposal that wasn’t even for you! You were risking death over it!”

“I… I was just…”

Stephen’s fingers stopped moving and he stared into her eyes, “Mary. Promise me, you won’t do something this foolish again.”

“But-”

“Mary. We’re not that weak. We’re supposed to help each other. You can’t take everything on yourself.”

“…”

He gently wrapped his sister in a hug, and after a few seconds, she returned it.

“You don’t have to do everything on your own. I’m here for you. After all, I’m your brother. I love you.”

She wanted to say those words back to him. She wanted to fill her words with her feelings and push them on him…

Mary didn’t say anything. She wanted to.

But she didn’t.

*

Stephen sipped from his goblet softly, examining the bustling crowd around him. The Banquet seemed to be going well. The food was good, and the drinks were better. The people were calm and happy. Even Rabadash had accepted an invitation.

He could feel her silently ogling him, but he did his best to ignore her.

Everything seemed to be going well, save the fact that Mary herself wasn’t here. While not explicitly so, Stephen had arranged for this to be a celebration for her victory. He wondered if Rabadash would have come if she had known.

He glanced towards his younger siblings and muttered, “Where’s sister?”

Lucas shrugged and Edith pipped up, “She was still in her chambers that last I saw. Her wound isn’t making it easier for her to walk or get dressed.” She narrowed her eyes at Stephen, “You should have at least waited for her injuries to get better.”

She was right. He sighed and rubbed his head, “Nothing I can do now though…”

Their older sibling had never been one for such functions. Her stoic demeanour lent itself greatly to warfare, planning and authority. While she planned for things, it was the job for the rest of them to act as the public faces for their policies.

Stephen paused in thought. _Oh dear… I hope she doesn’t use her wounds as an excuse to escape from this… Though it wouldn’t be the first time she does that…_

“Presenting, Her Highness. The High Queen of Narnia, Empress of the Lone Islands, Lady of Cair Paravel; Queen Mary the Magnificent!”

Stephen turned his head so fast that he cricked it. As he massaged it, his eyes focused on the person entering the room.

Not just a person… A Woman…

He blinked a few times. Who was that? Her hair seemed to shine in the light. Her dress gently hugged her slender, yet curved figure in a terribly sensuous manner. Her face was clear and soft but marred with tiny scars that were almost invisible with the mark-up she was wearing. Gloves covered her tough arms. In one hand, she held a cane, with which she supported her bad leg.

And on her lips was a calm light smile.

_Who…?_

Lucas rushed forward and grinned before hugging her, “You look great, sis!”

Stephen blinked, “Mary…?” To see his sister, who always focused on wearing the most tom-boyish clothes… Who always focused on appearing stoic and strong… Would come like this… To think, that she looked like this…

Mary glanced towards him and nodded, “I hope I look fine?”

“Yes… Yes…”, he nodded vaguely, “You never… Come for these things…”

She nodded as she walked over to Edith and embraced her gently, “Yes, I suppose this is the first one I’ve been to, isn’t it?”

Edith nodded, “It is. You generally use your period as an excuse not to go.”

Mary blushed, “Hush! Don’t say that here!”

Then, they laughed, and Stephen could only stare. How odd…

Mary blushed, “Is… Is something wrong?”

“What?”

“You… You haven’t taken your eyes off me, this entire time. It’s a little disconcerting…”, Neither of them mentioned or noticed that most of the men were staring at her.

Stephen blinked, “Oh! Uh… Its just… Its nice to see you… dressing so differently…”

Mary glanced at her dress, “Is that so? Does it… Does it look good on me?”

“…I… I think… Yes.”, He smiled, “Yes, you look lovely.”

Mary’s face reddened further as she slowly covered it with one hand, “I… I see. Thank you…”

_Was my sister always this lovely?_

 

Neither of them mentioned or noticed that Rabadash also had her eyes focused on them the entire time.

*

The arrow left his bow with a sharp whiz, before impaling itself in the centre of the bullseye. Stephen clicked his tongue in irritation before massaging his shoulder softly.

_Not good enough…_

He adjusted his leather practice armour. It was designed to mimic the effects of an archer’s normal armour in battle, but he knew that it was slightly different; This was one was terribly revealing for some reason, exposing his slender navel region, along with parts of his chest.

He tugged at it in vain, knowing full well that it wouldn’t cover his body properly. Damn it… He sighed in irritation before reaching for another arrow and notching it onto his bow.

_Might as well focus if the bloody armour isn’t good enough…_

Stephen paused as he aimed at the bullseye. He had heard that some women came to watch him train when he wore this armour… He wondered if they had him wear it as a joke of some kind.

The arrow flew from his bow, cutting into the arrow he had shot before.

_Hmm…_

“Impressive as always.”

He glanced back, “Mary.”

His sister walked in wearing, loose fitting ragged clothes- A baggy, relatively open shirt, loose reddish trousers, a simple leather belt and scuffed boots; Her training attire. It always reminded Stephen of a pirate’s garments.

“I always say, you look like a pirate in that.”

His sister smirked softly, her rosy cheeks shining softly, “Yes, I know. And I always say-”

“Its easier for you too move and train in it.”

“Exactly.”

He nodded softly. He was truly glad for the typical, boyish attire. It wasn’t as jarring as the tight, feminine clothes she wore to the banquet… Although…

_Has this uniform of hers always been so… revealing?_

He swallowed a few times, before hefting his bow lightly, “You’re… You’re here to train?”

Mary nodded, “Yes. Rabadash’s fight made it clear that I was out of practice. I need to step up in case we’re all pulled into a bad situation.”

“Uh-Huh.”

She frowned, “Are you alright?”

“Hm?”

“You’ve had this glassy stare in your eyes, ever since I stepped into the room.”

He blinked a few times, “Huh? Oh, its… uh, Its nothing…”

“Are you sure? You haven’t been pushing yourself or anything?” She took a small step closer, “After… What you told me after the duel… I understand what you said… But you don’t have to push yourself either-”

Stephen paused, “I… I know that. I’m not pushing myself.” _Damn it… Why can’t I concentrate around her?_

Mary’s frown deepened, “Hm… Hey, how’s your sword training coming?”

“Sword?”

She nodded, “Can’t just fight with a bow, if the enemy is next to you. What if you need to duel, close-quarters?”

“I can fight with my hands.”

“Don’t be stupid.”, Mary marched over to the side and grabbed two wooden swords, “You’ll end up in pieces, if you try to use your fists in a sword fight.” She handed him one of the swords, “Here. If you want me to stop worrying about you, then you’re going to need this much.”

Stephen couldn’t refute that last statement. He sighed and took the sword from her and examined in his hand briefly. It felt heavier than expected, but the way Mary swung it around, made it look weightless. Of course, he wasn’t weak; Archery was no easy task, but he doubted he could match his sister’s raw strength.

“Come on. Take a stance.”

He complied with her words, placing his legs slightly farther than normal, and raising the prop, before locking eyes with his sister. She had taken up a different stance from what he expected, keeping her legs closer together and twisting her body so that her right-side faced him, while keeping her sword low.

How odd… It was obvious that a narrower stance made you more vulnerable; It opened you to greater forces and made you more liable to fall; A danger in any sort of fight.

_Well, it makes it easier for me…_

He rushed at her, pushing his shoulder forward, holding his sword by his side, ready to swing it at her. It would have been instinct to lift your sword and thrust it down; It would have been an undeniably powerful blow, but it was also a dangerous attempt, as it left your entire mid-section open.

What Stephen had opted for was a more close-off attack; Not as strong, but more controlled. And she’d have to block it. From her position, it would be near impossible to parry and counter it.

As soon as he reached her, he swung. He expected resistance. He met none. His sword only met air, as Mary spun herself around; her narrower stance acting to her advantage, letting her move fast, dancing around him, and letting her raise her sword at his neck.

“Dead.”

Stephen blinked. What just happened? He turned to her quickly, before stumbling and falling on his rear, in confusion, “Where did that come from?? That wasn’t Narnian!”

“Nope. A little something, I improvised from my fight with Rabadash.”

His eyes widened slightly. Indeed, what she did was reminiscent of Rabadash’s movements during the duel. Of course. It was only natural for someone as gifted as her to develop something so fast…

A sheepish smile emerged on his face, “Well, I guess I need to do some more sword training.”

She nodded, lowering her sword and holding out her hand to him. Her small smile seemed to shine, with an unreadable joy, “Yes, you do. Come on.”

He took her hand, and pulled himself up, and taking a few steps away from her, “Again?”

Mary grinned and nodded, raising her sword in response, taking a different more familiar stance.

Once again, Stephen charged at her and they duelled; their swords clashing in mid-air with reverberating force. Each impact, numbed Stephen’s hands more and more, forcing him to step back. Even if he knew what she was going to do, her skill with swordplay vastly outweighed his own.

At first, the vague numbness and impact tremors were unconcerning, but Stephen slowly grew alarmed as their bout drew on. The sword began to feel heavier, and it was becoming to parry her blows, and he was being forced to use crude blocks, which took an even greater toll on him.

“H-Hey, Mary-”

He stumbled back, as she lunged forward, a gleeful enthusiasm in her eyes. This was where she was home; In combat. The same could not be said for him.

A heavy blow pushed his sword from his hands, before proceeding to smack him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Stephen’s eyes bulged as he collapsed to the floor, breathless, unable to even groan in pain.

Mary blinked as she watched him fall to the ground, before blinking again. And again. Then the realization of her over-action dawned over her, as she ducked down and gripped her brother’s twitching form, “Stephen! Are you alright? I’m so sorry, I got swept up! Its been so long since I practiced, and I forgot to hold back!”

Stephen moaned weakly, “You… could’ve killed me… with that blow…”

Mary threw her arms around him and squeezed his body, “I’m so sorry-!” She hesitated, as she caught a wiff of Stephen’s scent and felt her arms tighten around him softly. He smelled… so nice…

“Can’t… Breath… My ribs… Ribs!”

“Ah!” Mary released him and watched him flop onto the ground, groaning. She stared at his exposed body in practice armour. She had forgotten how sexy and revealing an archer’s practice armour was… She gently touched his abdomen with her hand before clearing her throat, “D-Does it hurt here?”

“No… My ribs…”

“O-oh!” Mary quickly placed her hands on both sides of his chest, gently leaning over him, “S-So, here!”

“Yeah… Sis, can… Can you get off”

“No! You’re hurt!”

“No, I’m fine… I…” He blinked, glancing at her hands and her position. It was… It felt like her position was trying to be sexy?

“Sis… What’s… What’s going on?”

Mary’s eyes widened as her present situation seemed to dawn on her clearly and she felt her mouth flap dumbly, “I… Stephen… I…”

“Mary?” He tilted his head and took her arms slowly as he tried to sit up, staring at her.

She stared back at him.

He blinked. Her eyes were so lovely…

Mary blinked. Then her face flushed, “Uh…”

Their hands were still together.

Then his eyes widened, as her eyes closed and she leaned in, pushing her lips onto his. It was just the barest skin contact, and it lasted for no more than five seconds.

Then Mary pushed herself away. Stephen could on stare at her, silently. Her face was flustered, confused, but very clearly ashamed and embarrassed.

“Ah… I’m… I’m sorry…”

He couldn’t even respond as she ran out of the training room, leaving him alone in his confusion.

*

A kiss had many meanings.

Mary knew that. Affection. Kindness. Love. Hope. It usually depended on where the kiss was placed. She groaned, racking her brains for another meaning to a kiss on the lips, beyond Love.

Nothing…

She rolled on her bed frantically, biting on her blankets as she panicked. What was she supposed to say to him? Perhaps it was an accident?

That might work, but she kissed him for so long…

She paused, touching her lips with her fingertips. He felt so nice and warm… She thought first kisses were supposed to be sour… But his lips tasted like eggs…

Oh, she wanted to lose herself in the memory of that kiss. She wanted to dream about it for days on end… But how could she, when it was such a horrifying moment?

“M-Mary?”

She squeaked hearing Stephen’s voice from beyond her door.

“Mary, can I come in?”

It might be better to leave him outside… She’d never have to confront him, if she never opened the door. But what then? Just stay inside forever? No… She’d have to talk to him at some point. It was better to do it with him; alone right now.

He might hate her… He might be disgusted… But it would be better to get these wrong feelings out of the way and move on. It would be healthier… It would be good for her.

Taking a few deep breaths, she pulled her doors open and nodded, letting him in before closing them lightly.

…It might be better to start the conversation.

“Stephen, I’m so sor-”

“Mary, I need to-”

They both paused. Mary blushed and gestured for him to speak first. He hesitated before nodding, “Mary… Did you…. Did you kiss me on purpose?”

She blinked. He didn’t realize? That was perfect! She swallowed. She could just say it was an accident and put it behind them! It was perfect! They could go back to the way they were…

…

“Yes…”

Stephen’s lips tightened and he nodded softly, taking a few steps away from her. Mary swallowed, placing her hands over her lower belly. She felt sick…

“S-Stephen… I… I like… I love you… As a woman…”

He said nothing.

“I’m… I’m so sorry. I… didn’t want to tell you. I just wanted to keep it with myself and… and hope to get over it, but I never did! And we were so close, I… I wasn’t thinking clearly! I never wanted you to hate me! I… I just wanted… I don’t know! I…”

She felt the excuses and stories pour from her mouth, in some pathetic attempt to stop the tears from flowing from her eyes; To prevent the inevitable rejection from coming. She knew it would fail… That it was failing, as warm tears fell from her eyes over her clothes and the floor.

Then, she felt herself being enveloped in warmth; Her face was buried in Stephen’s warm chest, his arms around her, rubbing her back gently, trying to calm her down.

“Its… its alright… I’d never hate you.”

Oh, those words. They sent such relief through her body. They made her legs go weak with joy.

“I’m… sorry…”

“Don’t be.”

“But… But, I’m so disgusting…”

Stephen shook his head, “No, you’re not.”

“I… I am. I feel for you… My own brother…”

“…And what about me then?”

Mary frowned and pushed him away gently, “What… what about you?”

He gently placed his hand over her cheek, rubbing it softly with his thumb, “Am I disgusting, for thinking my sister is the most beautiful woman, I’ve ever seen? For seeing her… not as my sister, but as a woman?”

She blinked, and felt her face warm up, “Eh?”

His lips tightened again, as he pulled his hand away softly, “I don’t think my feelings are entirely like yours… I don’t… Love you. You’re more like… an attractive object. And… I do think that you’re direct feelings for me… I don’t know if I can accept them. But I can’t say that we’re very different, either.”

She could only stare in disbelief, “I…”

“I can’t call you disgusting, if we’re so alike, can I?”, He smiled and took her hand.

“We… We can’t. We shouldn’t…”

He nodded, “We probably shouldn’t.”

She nodded. Then she pushed her lips onto his, locking them together. Oh, he felt so good… And this time he responded, his lips moving with her own, his arms wrapping around her. Oh, he felt so good…

*

Stephen stared dumbly into space.

Just a day ago… He was kissing his sister… He blinked a few times, before rubbing his hair absently. They were kissing… Full on.

His sister loved him. She actually liked him, in that way. He’d never guessed, he she hadn’t told him. And she hadn’t told him, then he’d have never confessed how he had been feeling those past few days…

It felt… It didn’t feel wrong. It certainly felt weird. To be with her in such a way; She wasn’t much taller than him, but to hold her tough, slender body in his hands… It gave him chills.

He thought back to that passionate kiss. He had no idea his sister was so assertive. Although, it did make sense considering her nature.

Mary had broken off the kiss herself, and rushed away in a somewhat joyful, and embarrassed manner. He himself had been dumbstruck by the events. What were they going to do now? Regardless of what they decided, it wasn’t going to be easy.

He stumbled into a maid, hastily apologized before attempting to walk on, before the maid stopped him, “O-oh! King! One moment, please!”

The Maid came rushing before him, holding out a small, folded piece of parchment that was sealed with wax, stamped with his sister’s insignia, “The Queen asked me to send this to you.”

Stephen nodded, taking the letter and waited for the maid to leave before opening it. Within it, were only 2 words; _Rose Garden_.

It was rather puzzling, because they didn’t have a rose garden. They had various gardens each with various flowers in it, but there was no specific rose garden…

_Ah_.

He moved calmly to the north wing of the castle, till he arrived in the Wind Garden, and smiled at the sight of Mary, who was standing there, among the white daisies and black roses, her back to him. He swallowed softly, before speaking in as calm a tone as he could, “Found you.”

She turned, and nodded, her face turned to a light shade of red, causing his heart to tighten as a small smile spread on her face, “You did.”

“Well, not many people come to this garden because of how far it is; The gardeners themselves only come to maintain it once a week. And I did mention…” He touched one of the roses, “I did tell you that I loved these roses when we first took our thrones…”

Her smile widened, “You said that you have never seen black roses in our world before.”

“Yes…”, He paused for a second before going and standing beside her, “Mary… I…”

She placed a finger on his lips gently, “Shh.”

Stephen blinked and then nodded, gesturing to a small stone bench. She smiled and made her way over to it, allowing him to get a good look at her outfit; She was wearing a tight-fitting outfit, a cross between male and female clothes that fit her personality well. It gave him a good look at her figure. He had seen it several times before, but only now… Now was he truly registering how erotic she was…

He watched her sit down, slowly. She seemed to be moving with deliberate intent; Trying to stretch her clothes, tighten them around her body, allowing him to truly examine the figure underneath them, without actually seeing it.

_Gah…_ Stephen swallowed, before moving to sitting beside her, glancing away shyly. Oh, she smelled nice…

A tremor ran through his body, as he felt Mary’s fingers dance along the small of his back. He turned to look at her, before his eyes widened as she pushed her down, slowly climbing over him, and forcing her lips onto his.

_M-Mary…_

He still wasn’t sure about this. To most people, it would be wrong. He had no idea, why he felt so… neutral to the entire affair. He had no idea about anything anymore.

No… He knew one thing; He still cared for his sister. And he wanted her to be happy.

His hands trembled aimlessly for a few brief seconds, before wrapping around her waist, his lips beginning to push against hers. Her body felt like a fire against him. Their embrace tightened softly, and their eyes shut as they breathed in the sweet air of the flower garden.

 

Blinding them to the malicious gaze from the nearest tower.

*

Rabadash scratched the edge of her eyebrow softly, before pausing and forcibly pulling her hand down. A bad habit she had cultivated over the years, and now it was proving difficult to stop.

She reached for the large goblet of red wine and drank from it deeply. It was a strong wine with a bitter, stinging flavour that made her wince. She preferred the mellow wines of her home, but there was little demand for it in Narnia, and it was rarely sent to her.

Another reason to hate this shithole.

It had been a surprise that her proposal to Stephen had been turned down, and it was irksome that the pathetic king didn’t even speak up for himself. She was quite certain her body was more than enough to draw him in, and she had seen him gaze at her with interest in the past. Had her proposal been accepted, it would have, at the very least, been fun to increase her status and train him to her ‘puppy dog’.

It had been shameful that she had lost her duel to Mary. Rabadash had not expected her to be so strong. She had gotten overconfident; A terrible move in any circumstances. She should have remained cautious and used her own knowledge of the Narnian Sword Style against Mary.

Luckily, she had manage to stop the word of her failure from reaching her family, and Mary was stupidly generous enough to keep her as the Calormen Diplomat. She still had a chance for revenge.

And now the opportunity had risen.

A wide smile crossed her face, as Mary and Stephen walked into her quarters slowly. Mary’s face was stony and cold, “How dare you _summon_ us!”

Rabadash blinked innocently, “I’m sorry?”

Mary threw the two invitations, or rather, Summons that Rabadash had sent to the two them, “These! What else can they be called but summons! You dare summon me? I am the High Queen of Narnia and you are merely a Princess, who I’ve allowed to stay on my land, and you’d have better remember it!”

“And yet…”, Rabadash responded to Mary’s heated words with an eyeroll, “Here you are?”

“Because, unlike you. I have manners, you harlot!”

“Hm. Manners, perhaps. What about common decency?”

Mary frowned, “What?”

“Decency.”, Rabadash repeated, “I was wondering what you were taught about decency, considering you and your brother here seem to think romance between siblings is an acceptable past time.”

Rabadash struggled to hold back a grin, as she watched the two people before her turn grey, green and white at the same time, panic flooding their bodies as they tried to process her words.

Stephen was the one who spoke up first, “What… Are you talking about?”

Rabadash placed a hand over her mouth, “Oh my. Was it a secret? You both were kissing so passionately in that garden. It was such a sight to behold. Such passion and vigour!”

Mary’s jaw tightened, “You… I will have you sent home at once-”

“Do that, and I’ll tell everyone about your little tryst.”

“No… No one would believe you.”

“Oh?”, Rabadash crossed her arms, “I wonder about that. I know a few of the people in your court who don’t support you entirely. I’m sure they’d love to hear this. And surely, you must know how rumours spread among the people?”

The looks on their face said they did know. And they were wary. She knew them well enough at this point. Mary and Stephen were smart, but not cunning. They would not consider trying to silence her. Instead, they’d…

Mary swallowed, “Do not tell anyone-”

“Is that how you ask for a favour?”

Stephen gave a scared look at Mary, clearly uncertain and unclear on what to do. Mary’s hands balled up, as she lowered her head slightly, “Please. Princess Rabadash, do not speak of this to anyone…”

Rabadash sighed, “Oh, alright. But I think I’ll bring up my engagement again.”, She focused on Stephen, “And this time, I think you’ll say yes, hm?”

Stephen blinked, “What?”

“Oh, don’t worry.”, Rabadash waved her hand, “I’m not in love with some incestual fuck like you. But wouldn’t it be good for our kingdoms to be closer? Wouldn’t it be good for me to have the heir to both our thrones?”

“You fucking sow-”

Rabadash narrowed her eyes, “What?”

“…no… nothing.”

She nodded softly, “That’s what I thought.” She dropped the goblet back onto the tablet before examining Stephen, “There was a time, when I thought you looked decent, and that training you might be worth something. But god, you two are foul.” She smirked softly before focusing on Mary, “You’ll announce our marriage this evening before the court and my child will be the heir to your throne. I will take care of the child. Its best, it stays away from you two.”

“…Yes.”

*

Mary gripped her hair in anguish, as she paced around her room. That bitch… Damn it!

“M-Mary…”

This wasn’t what she wanted. She just… She wanted something normal. A normal love. Not like this. She and her brother were being blackmailed for the power that had been given to them… Rabadash’s ploys were obvious. Her requests seemed terrible, but acceptable in the grand scheme, but it was only obvious that she’d be demanding much more in the long run.

And Mary couldn’t stop it.

Killing Rabadash, would be an international incident that would incite war. Declaring her _Persona Non Grata_ would just give her the opportunity to blab… What was she supposed to do?

“Mary.”

She glanced at her brother, and felt a deep sadness building within her. Sadness for him and loathing for herself. If only she hadn’t confessed… She held her hand back from touching his cheek, “Stephen… I’m sorry…”

“No, no. Its not your fault.”

“It is…”

“No, its-”

“It might… be better for you to be with her.”

Stephen blinked, “What?”

Mary gritted her teeth, as she turned away from him, “I opposed your engagement to her before… But, perhaps it might not be that bad… She’s a relatively normal person.”

Stephen blinked, “What are you talking about? She’s insane! She’s going to use us and our child, if we ever have one, as pawns in her game for power!”

She ignored his words, continuing her dialogue, “She’s the princess of a powerful nation, and that would only help us-”

“Mary.”

“It’s probably for the best. You wouldn’t let yourself be used by a woman like that! Its good, that she’s offering to marry you! It’s a good deal!”

“Mary!”

“Stephen, please!”, Mary felt her voice shriek out and Stephen stepped back in shock. She paused, and brought down her voice, “Stephen… please. I don’t want her to hurt you.”

 

Stephen felt his face tighten, when his sister spoke those words. Once again, she was blindly trying to protect him. She didn’t realise how much Rabadash had already hurt them…

*

Edith frowned as she walked into the throne room, seeing several court members inside already. Her younger brother, Lucas was behind her. Her eyes focused on Princess Rabdash; The cunning and dangerous woman was standing unexpectedly close to the thrones for some reason beyond her.

Lucas spoke up softly behind her, “Oi, sis. What’s going on?”

Edith didn’t reply, because she had no answer. It seemed important though. She walked over to Mary, who was already sitting on her throne, solemnly, “Sister? What’s this?”

“I… am going to make an announcement.”

“What kind of announcement?”

“…One of… great importance.”

Edith frowned, “Why were me and Lucas not consulted?”

“It does not concern you.”

“It does, if it is of great importance!”

“…Sit down, Edith.”

Her sister seemed to be having several mixed feelings, so Edith complied, albeit unwillingly Something didn’t feel right. Stephen looked sick. Mary looked broken. And that woman, Rabadash, looked alarmingly cheerful…  It took a few moments for the hubbub to settle down, before Mary rose to her feet and glanced at around the court. There weren’t many people in the court. Only the most important; Maybe around a dozen or so.

Edith watched Mary clear her throat, “…I have called you all here today… To announce the engagement of my brother, King Stephen to Princess Rabadash of Calormen.”

The uproar was louder than expected from such a small crowd. Lucas jumped up, staring at both Mary and Stephen, “But you won! Didn’t you win?”

Mary’s jaw tightened, “It was… merely a test. To judge if the princess was worthy. Winning or losing, was not what determined her worth.”

Edith said nothing, only staring at everyone in mild confusion. She could hear the members of the court discussing what to do under these new circumstances. It was a general presumption that Mary was going to be unmarried, for various reasons, which included her masculine personality and her generally domineering nature. Furthermore, Stephen, Lucas and Herself, all held and equal position to Mary. All of their children would be considered heirs to the throne, but since Stephen was next to oldest, his children would have the first claim.

Rabadash was going to be the mother to the heir to the throne of Narnia; The thought made Edith want to vomit. She rose up from her throne and glanced at Mary, “Sister, is this your final decision?”

Mary glanced at her with tired eyes and nodded softly.

Edith nodded in response, before turning away, “Then, I see no reason to discuss this any further.”

She walked out of the throne room, as everyone else continued to babble like fools. Something was wrong. Mary never went back on a decision, and there was no reason for her to do something like this for Rabadash.

As she walked, she remained focused on the maids, examining each of their faces before stopping one, “You.”

“Yes, my Queen?”

“Hail to Aslan, the Great Lion.”

The Maid’s expression became stony as she bowed, “Hail to Aslan, the creator of Narnia.”

Edith glanced around, ensuring no one else was nearby, “I have a task for you and your sisters. I will not tolerate failure.”

The Maid nodded, “Yes, Queen.”

Edith’s Internal Spy System was a personal project of herself. Unlike her siblings, she had been naïve and foolish, when she first came here, ending up in the hands of the White Witch. She had been made to act for a foul and twisted woman, out of a stupid promise for sugary treats. It was a shameful memory for her, and one she had to live with every day.

In an attempt to redeem herself, she had created a security network within the Narnian Kingdom, outside of the typical spies sent to other countries. This was her personal system. Each person had been chosen carefully, to ensure loyalty and silence. If there was something going on within their kingdom; If another person, was being tricked like how she had been, or if they were willingly betraying Narnia, Edith’s network would find them.

“My sister has had my brother engaged to the Princess Rabadash.”

“I see.”

“I suspect foul play.”

“Elaborate, my Queen.”

“My sister denied Rabadash’s advances before, which culminated in a duel, that she won. Rabadash, had no other cards to play. Yet, my sister now agrees to this engagement, that offers her little benefits.”

“I understand, My Queen”

“Listen to the rumours and the whispers. Find out what Rabadash holds over my family and bring it to me. Ensure that whatever you find is shown to as few people as possible. I want the information before their engagement is made public.”

“We will work as hard as possible.”

“Harder than that.”

“Of course, My Queen.”

“Leave now and continue with your duties.”

The Maid bowed and rushed off, leaving Edith alone in the hall, contemplating all the events that had just happened. She prayed silently, that she’d be able to do something this time. She would never be a weak, silent hostage to anything.

Never again.

*

The dinner table was tense. Five people sat at it, instead of the usual four. Dinner had only just started, and the first meal, a soup, had only just been presented.

Edith slowly poked the thick soup in its bowl. It was technically more of a stew than a soup; filled with aromatic vegetables and meat, it was a particular favourite of their family. She glanced around the table slowly.

That fact didn’t really do much to change the tone around the table.

Rabadash sighed softly, as she stirred her soup, “Could we move onto something a little more filling now?”

Mary’s response was unusually controlled as she continued to consume from her bowl, “The cooks are preparing it. You’ll have to make do with this for now.”

“I’d prefer something else.”

Lucus pipped in softly, “We could talk to the cooks about it later.”

Rabadash clicked her tongue and dropped her spoon before leaning back into her seat with her arms crossed, as if she was protesting. Edith felt a mild irritation tickle her neck, at the princess’ apparent opposition to her younger brother’s compromise, before she watched Stephen tense up, before rising from his seat, “I’ll… go talk to the cooks.”

The smile from Rabdash’s face was sickeningly sweet, “Ah, thank you dear.”

Mary’s hand reached out to Stephen, as if to stop him, before Rabadash spoke up again, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “Is something wrong, Queen?”

“Ah…” Mary’s face was leaking with pain and shame, “No.”

Edith sighed softly and shook her head. _Enough of this._

“Brother.”

Stephen turned to her. His expression was a little surprised. Perhaps because she rarely spoke at dinner, “Please wait.”

“…Edith?”

“Is something wrong, dear Sister?” Rabadash interjected herself between them, “Perhaps, you’d like to pass on a message to-”

“Don’t.”, Edith raised her finger softly, “Call me ‘Sister’”

A dark silence filled the room, before Mary glared at her, “Edith. Apologize to her now.”

“No.”

“Edith!”

“I will not.”

“Edith, you’re making a scene!”

“Ah, I am.” Edith snapped her fingers softly, “Please leave us, let no one into this room and tell no one about this scene.”

The maids and butlers who were standing on the side silently, quickly bowed their heads and walked out, leaving only the five of them at the table. All of them, except Edith had confused looks on their faces.

“Now.” Edith dusted her dress gently, “Princess Rabadash.”

“H-Hm?”

“…You’re not married into our family yet.”

“Ah… Yes?”

“The fact that you are sitting here, is merely… a formality. A procedure. Protocol.”

“I…”

“You are not my sister. You are a princess, who is engaged to my brother. Please don’t forget that.”

Rabadash’s gaze was bloody, “…Of course, Queen Edith.”

“Hm. And I think I’ll be having that engagement annulled now.”

“Huh?!”

Mary slammed the table, glaring at her sister, “Edith! Enough of this! You’re out of line! Go to your room! I’ll discuss this with you later!”

“No, Mary. I think I’ll discuss this now.”

Edith rose up from her seat and glided over to Rabadash, “An annulment shouldn’t cause too much issue right now. I’ll have to talk to our courtiers who were present for that announcement, but I’m lucky I caught you before the engagement was made public. That would have been a true nightmare.”

Rabadash frowned, “What… Are you talking about?”

“I know what you hold over my siblings.”

The silence went from dark to hellish.

Mary flushed red, before falling into her seat. Stephen’s eyes widened before his mouth began to flop dumbly, while Rabadash grinned evilly, “Ah, then you know that I could end your peaceful rule with a few words.”

Edith tilted her head, “Oh, I don’t think so.”

“You don’t…?”

“No, I don’t.” Edith tapped her lip softly, “Off the top of my head, I can think of several solutions to the problems you present. You can fall off some stairs and die. Or perhaps only damage your throat and lose your ability to speak. That would also get us a new diplomat.”

Rabadash paled at Edith’s cold words, “You…”

“I’m well aware that there are some nobles in our garden who could threaten it, but they perform their duties so well for the most part. If you decided to infect them, well I’d have no other choice but to cull them for the greater good. I do have some younger blood who could replace them. It would take time, but alas, if you spread your knowledge, I’d have no other choice.”

Rabadash’s skin had gone white, “You… What are you?”

Edith narrowed her eyes, “I’m the Queen of Narnia.”

“Mary-”

“Mary’s the High Queen. She takes care of the surface. Keeps everyone happy. I’m the one who stays below it. I know about betrayal. I know how easily it can come. I’m the one who culls the weeds. I’m the one who keeps the darkness out of our kingdom. And right now… Princess Rabadash; You’re the darkness who threatens _my_ family.”

Rabadash swallowed, “I… Forgive me, Queen Edith. I’ll…”

“You’ll annul your engagement to my brother. You’ll stay here, where I can keep an eye on you. You work for me now. I’ll know, if you betray me and I will hurt you. I have eyes everywhere.”

Edith could see Rabadash’s mind working, trying to find a way out of her position. The Princess was used to dealing with direct people. Simple, kind people. People like her siblings.

She’d never hurt them again.

*

Edith slowly walked in front of her elder siblings within Mary’s room, while Lucus stood behind her. His face was soft and silent, while Mary and Stephen’s were covered in shame.

“What… were you two thinking?”

“Its… Its my fault-!” Mary started to speak, but Edith raised her hand.

“I don’t care about who’s fault it was. I want to know what you two were thinking, when you… you did something like this!”

Mary hesitated before lowering her head, “I… I love Stephen.”

Stephen glanced at Mary before nodding, “I… I just wanted Mary to be happy.”

Edith groaned, covering her face, “So… You decided to sleep with her. You couldn’t just put her down like a normal person?”

“I…”

“Have you both even considered what this means? How people would react if they knew? Those who had negative intentions towards you?”

Obvious shame seeped onto their faces, but it didn’t quell the rage in Edith’s heart, “That… That Ass, Rabadash, was going to marry into our family and you two morons didn’t even think that she had no proof beyond her word! You could have had her silenced, but you nearly caused an international fiasco! She could have ruined everything we’ve done!”

“Edith.”

She glanced back at Lucus as he placed a hand on her shoulder, “Enough.”

“Enough? Enough?? They could have-”

“But they didn’t.” Lucus gave her a gently smile, “You helped them. You stopped her. It’s unwise to focus on what could have been, when it could have been worse.”

Edith’s eyes narrowed, “Do you support their relationship?”

“I have nothing against it.”

“How?!”

Lucus shrugged, “They are family. It might not be normal… But I really couldn’t care about that, because I care about them and I want them to be happy.”

Edith said nothing.

“I mean… As long as they can keep it quiet, they should be fine, right?”

Edith crossed her arms softly, and shrugged, “I… I don’t want our family to be hurt…”

Lucus nodded, “And we’ll all work together to make sure about that.”

Edith sighed and glanced over at her siblings, “I… I still don’t approve… I’ll go and talk to anyone else who knows about the engagement…” And she walked away softly.

Lucus sighed softly and gave them an awkward smile, “She just needs some time. And you two be careful, now.”

And he left after her.

*

Mary groaned softly, as she flopped onto a chair, covering her face in her hands. All this happened because of her. Because she couldn’t hold back. Because she was stupid…

“Hey… Are you alright?”

She shook her head at Stephen’s question, “I’m the High Queen. I’m supposed to take care of everything. Now, I find out that my little sister is running things behind the scenes and she’s the one that had to bail us out of that fiasco.”

Stephen gave a small nod, “Yeah… I had no idea Edith was working so hard.”

“Yes, but she shouldn’t have to! I’m supposed to be doing that! I should’ve been smart enough to silence Rabadash, the way she did!”

“Mary…”

She covered her eyes, “You heard how disappointed she was…”

“She’ll accept you and me.”

“How do you know?”

Stephen smiled and gently touched her face, “Because we’re family.”

Mary’s face tensed, “Don’t… Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like… This! So… So kind and… and handsome…”

Stephen smirked, “Is that bad?”

Mary nodded, “I won’t be able to hold back.”

He sighed softly and kissed her forehead gently, “Then don’t. I told you, didn’t I? You don’t have to be perfect. We’re all here for you. We’ll all accept you. Because that’s what we do.”

“…My love for you is supposed to be wrong.”

“Then let it be that way.”

“…Edith may never look at us the same way.”

“Will you stop caring for her?”

“No!”

Stephen nodded, “And she will always care for us, no matter what we do.”

Mary slowly touched Stephen’s hands, “I… I don’t want to force you to love me.”

He chuckled, “And you never have.”

Mary swallowed before shooting off her chair and pushing Stephen onto her bed. Her face was flushed, a deep crimson and her breathing was heavy and shy, “You’re… Making me not want to hold back.”

He laughed, “Then don’t.”

His smile faded slightly, when Mary gripped her clothes and tore them off with brute strength, before proceeding to do the same to his own. He cried out in shock, as his half-nude sister mounted him like some feral beast with a dark, aroused look on her face, “You better prepare yourself…”

“Ah… Uh…”

He squeaked as she began to lick his body gently. Her nails gently scraped over his skin, making him tremble and shiver as he struggled to figure out what to do. As a virgin, he was completely clueless, and it was beyond his knowledge to understand how his sister managed to be so knowledgeable.

The pressure from her actions gradually escalated; Licking became nibbling as her nails began to push down on his skin. She forced her lips over his and began to suck on his face hard, while her hands continued to explore his body; Touching him in ways he could barely fathom.

Her teeth bit his tongue gently. Then his lip. Then her tongue touched his tongue and began to explore his mouth.

She tasted of blood and sweat, and he tasted of straw and wine.

Both flavours were intoxicating to the ones who tasted them.

Stephen tried to take initiative, as he felt a familiar pressure in his groin. His hands found her breasts, and slowly be tried to fondle them. How soft they were… Softer than clay. Than cotton. Oh, they were delightful. Just a little damp from her sweat and drool and her nipples tickled his palms gently.

He pushed her slightly higher, so he could look at her breasts, before she fell over him, wrapping him in a tight embrace; Her breasts smushed against his face and it only took him a split second to place his mouth over them and begin to kiss her entire body.

His attempt to take charge was cut short, as Mary pushed him down, separating his mouth from her body, before she began to mimic him, pushing her lips against his chest and alternating between kisses and love-bites. Every bite made him wince, but he could sense the pressure coming from her and he knew that if he complained, the bites would just get worse.

An unexpected moan left Stephen’s lips as Mary’s legs tightened around his waist and he felt an intense pressure around his cock as she continued to pump herself over his body. Her firm rear repeatedly crashed down over him, in a combination of erotic pleasure and pain.

It was so jarring; Stephen felt like putty in her grasp. Her strong body, combined with her pent-up desire and lust and some strange inherent knowledge about pleasure… He had no idea what to do. He was almost entirely lost in the burning warmth she was putting off. He was completely in her whims.

Mary’s grip alternated between snake-like coils to lose-abandon as she shivered, constantly adjusting her body as she moaned with delight. Her sultry moans reverberated in Stephen’s ears, making him tremble and loosen.

She was too much for him…

_I… I can’t…_

Stephen let out a weak cry as warmth exploded from his body and Mary responded with a gentle moan of joy. Almost immediately, the rapid motion that both of their bodies had been engaged in stopped.

There was a strange silence between the two of them.

“I… I came.”

Stephen felt very dumb for pointing out the obvious.

Mary stared at him for a few seconds before smiling softly, “I’m… I’m happy. That we can be like this… Together.” Her fingers gently touched his cheek, “…I didn’t ever think…”

Stephen blushed softly, “I… I can’t say I was open to the idea of ‘Us’ until you brought it up.”

She laughed softly, before shifting slightly closer to him, “Our troubles… Are probably not over.”

Stephen said nothing. She was right. Edith might have been placated, but there was the possibility that her worries may sprout up again. There were others who had ill intentions and who’d consider trying to use this against them. There were a number of things they’d have to work on, before they’d really be able to say they were safe and without issue.

He sighed, “Well… Let’s just deal with it as comes.”

Mary blinked at him before laughing again, “How strange; that feels very appropriate right now.” She quickly mounted him again.

Stephen’s expression grew confused, as Mary’s grin widened, “Well, just because you came doesn’t mean I did. I’ve waited too long for this, and I’m going to savour every second of it!”

_Oh…_

Stephen felt sweat bead on his forehead slowly as he nodded weakly to Mary’s words. After all, he didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t just that she was stronger than him; He just couldn’t bring himself to say anything to stop the woman he loved.

 

It turned out to be a long night for them.

By the time dawn was breaking, Stephen realized that it was going to be one of many such nights in his future. But he was too weak to care; Too weak… and happy.

 

After all, would any person complain about being with the person they loved all night?

 

 

THE END.


End file.
